Jake Ritter, Cal Poly (Citrus Heights, Calif.) A distance runner for the Mustangs, Jake is the back-to-back Big West Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year.  He is the ninth cross country athlete to earn consecutive honors since 1979.  He earned the distinction in 2019 after winning the Conference Championship by 42 seconds over the second place finisher.  Jake also earned all conference honors in track &  field in 2019 after finishing in second place in the 10,000 meters.  A Civil Engineering major, Jake has earned Dean’s List honors three times and is a two time member of the Big West Conference All Academic Team.  Last summer, he interned with a Civil Engineering design firm and plans to do so again this summer.  He plans to pursue a Master of Structural Engineering degree and to one day work to build bridges.

Tanner Bibee, Cal State Fullerton (Mission Viejo, Calif.) A junior, Tanner is currently the No. 1 starter for the Titans baseball program.  He currently has an ERA under 2.00.  In 2019, he struck out 80 batters in 95.2 innings pitched, good for an average of 7.53 strikeouts per nine innings.  A Communications and Public Relations major, Tyler has earned Commissioner’s Honor Roll distinction and is the recipient of the Bob Kargenian Scholarship.  The scholarship is presented to the Titan baseball student-athlete that best exemplifies what it means to be a Cal State Fullerton baseball player on the field, in the classroom and in the community while also serving as a model teammate.  He has also volunteered with Miracle Clinic, helping coach baseball for special needs children. He’s also volunteered in elementary schools and hospitals, and has been involved with Team Impact. Tanner hopes to one day play professional baseball and to eventually coach.

Daniel Trejo, CSUN (Mendota, Calif.) Danny has spent three seasons as forward on the Matadors men’s soccer team.  In 2019, he was named the Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 25 points.  He also earned second team all region honors after finishing second in the nation in shot accuracy.  He earned Big West All Freshman Team honors in 2017, and was named to the conference’s first team All Conference in 2018.  A Liberal Studies major, Danny volunteers with the “Footy Tribe” in his hometown, providing cleats and soccer balls to local youth.  He also volunteers his time reading to elementary school students.  After graduation, Danny plans to pursue a career in professional soccer.

Kent Harris, Long Beach State (Lone Tree, Colo.) The team captain of the Long Beach State track and field team, Kent was an NCAA Regional Qualifier in both 2018 and 2019.  He qualified in the 4x100 meter relay in 2019 after qualifying in the 100 meter dash in 2018.  Kent has earned All-Big West with podium finishes in each of the last two Big West Conference Championships while competing in four events in both years   He earned All-Big West in three events in 2019 after taking third in both relays and second in the 100 meter dash.  He finished second in the 100m dash as well in 2018 and was the Big West 200 meter champion as a sophomore.  Kent is an Industrial Design major who has earned Dean’s List honors four times.   

David Goulak, UC Davis (Oak Park, Calif.) The senior captain for the Aggies men’s tennis team, David continues to climb the UC Davis record books for career and single season victories in both singles and doubles matches.  He was the first ever Aggie to be named Big West Conference Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Year and he has earned All Conference honors in 2017, 2018 and 2019 in both doubles and singles.  A double major in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Science and Engineering, David has earned both Big West and ITA All-Academic honors.  He has consistently been a member of the Dean’s List, while also serving as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  David also volunteers at the Davis Community Church.  After graduation, he hopes to work in the aerospace industry and to one day become an astronaut.

Scott Stadick, UC Irvine (Watertown, Wisc.) A senior middle blocker for the Anteaters, Scott has earned Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors five times this season alone, and 11 times in his career.  He currently leads the nation in blocking and has a record six matches with 10 or more blocks.  He has earned All-MPSF, All-Big West and AVCA honors during his career, and was a member of the 2017 US Men’s Junior National Team.  A Business Administration major with an emphasis on Accounting and Finance, Scott has earned Dean’s List honors ten times.  He will graduate from UC Irvine later this month.  He hopes to play volleyball professionally and to ultimately work for a start-up or a non-profit.

Heinrich van Niekerk, UC Riverside (Pretoria, South Africa)  A senior middle distance runner for the Highlanders, Heinrich was a South African Junior Champion and bronze medalist.  He has already qualified for the 2020 Big West Conference Championships in the 800, after finishing up a successful indoor season.  He has earned Academic All American honors and has qualified for the NCAA Regional.  A Plant Biology major with a concentration in Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Heinrich has interned at one of the most prominent garden centers in South Africa.  He plans to intern at a Dutch nursery before pursuing his Masters Degree in South Africa.  He and his brother own a wholesale nursery and he hopes to expand the business by applying all of the knowledge he has gained at UCR by breeding new plant varieties.

Ben Brecht, UC Santa Barbara (Wilmette, Ill.) Ben was a starting pitcher for the 2019 Big West Conference Champion UCSB baseball team.  He earned All Conference honors for his junior campaign and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in June 2019.  He finished his career at UCSB with a 17-6 career record with 188 strikeouts.  He began his minor league career last summer with the Hudson Valley Renegades.  A Communications major, Ben twice earned Academic All Conference honors and earned the UCSB Golden Eagle award.  He has served as a mentor at the Boys and Girls Club and with the Challengers youth baseball program.  He plans to complete his degree at UCSB this December.

Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai‘i (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Stijn finished his career last season with the Rainbow Warriors men’s volleyball program.  He was the Big West Conference Tournament MVP, leading the team to its first ever Big West Conference Tournament title and eventually to the NCAA National Championship match.  Stijn was just the second UH men’s volleyball player to earn all AVCA All-American first team honors three times.  He graduated in May 2019 with a degree in Economics and was part of the winningest class in UH men’s volleyball program history.  He is now playing professionally in Italy.  After he retires from professional volleyball, he plans to earn his Masters degree and to one day become a Division I Athletics Director.

FEMALE HONOREES

Sophia Brown, Cal Poly (Pleasanton, Calif.) A senior, Sophia finished her fourth season in goal for the Mustangs this fall.  She finished her career with 364 total saves, ranking second all time in school history and fourth all-time in the Big West Conference.  She earned Defensive Player of the Week three times in her career and in her very last game, she scored a goal for the Mustangs.  She is the first keeper in school history to score a goal.  An Aerospace Engineering major, she is a Member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.  For her senior project, she is working on a Satellite system that provides communications and navigational information to lunar surface users.  After graduation, she plans to work in aerospace engineering, specializing in orbital mechanics.

Savahna Costello, Cal State Fullerton (Riverside, Calif.) A junior libero for the Titans women’s volleyball team, Savahna appeared in all 100 sets for the team this fall.  She led the conference in digs per set and finished the season 13th overall in the NCAA.  Her total digs currently ranks her in sixth in Cal State Fullerton history.  She earned Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors and All Conference honors.  A Mathematics major with a concentration in teaching, Savahna volunteers as a mentor and a coach, while also helping feed the homeless.  She has earned Dean’s List and Commissioner’s Honor Roll accolades.  After graduation, she plans to become a math teacher.    

Victoria Wilson, CSUN (Kitchner, Ontario, Canada)  A senior utility player for the Matadors women’s water polo team, Tori led the Big West Conference in total points last season.  She also ranked fourth in goals and in steals.  She was named All Big West Conference.  She is off to another fast start this season, scoring in all but one match, including a six-goal match.  A Psychology major, Tori transferred to CSUN from Hartwick College where she earned the Philip Wilder Award for Academic Distinction.  She is a member of the Dean’s List at CSUN and currently carries a 3.905 GPA.  She serves as an intern at Helping Hands Senior Foundation and is a Research Assistant in the Psychology department.  After graduation, she plans to attend Nursing School and then work as a Travel Nurse because her goal is to travel the world as much as she can.    

Nicole Reinking, Long Beach State (Fountain Valley, Calif.)  A junior member of the Long Beach State beach volleyball team, Nicci is a two-time All Big West Conference selection.  She posted six wins against ranked opponents in 2019 en route to a 21-11 overall record playing exclusively in the top two flights.  Nicci earned her AAA Beach rating in 2015 and won the U18 Manhattan Beach Junior Beach Tour in 2016.  A double major in Computer Engineering and Applied Mathematics, Nicci currently has a 3.967 GPA.  She is a member of the University Honors Program and has earned President’s List distinction five times.

Sarah Anderson, UC Davis (Folsom, Calif.) A senior distance runner for the Aggies, Sarah has earned All Big West Conference distinctions twice in cross country.  In 2019, she finished 55th at the NCAA West Regional leading UC Davis to an eighth place finish.  She has medaled in the 10,000 at three Big West Conference Track & Field Championships.  She currently has three top 10 marks in the Aggies record book and has also earned All-MPSF honors in indoor track and field.  An Animal Science major, Sarah serves as an undergraduate researcher in two professors labs.  She spent the summer of 2019 studying abroad in Ireland, studying Physics.  Sarah is a member of the Dean’s List and a five-time Big West Conference All Academic Team honoree.  She plans to attend Veterinary School after graduation this June.

Tara Prentice, UC Irvine (Temecula, Calif.)  A senior utility player for the Anteaters women’s water polo team, Tara earned first team All Big West Conference honors in both 2018 and 2019.  She was also named to the ACWPC All-American second team after leading UCI in scoring in 2019.  Her 70 goals ranked No. 2 in the UCI record book.  Tara was named Big West Conference Player of the Week for the third time in her career earlier this season.  She has helped lead UCI to their highest ranking in program history.  A Criminal, Law & Society and Physiological Sciences major, Tara is a member of the National Society of Leadership & Success.  She has conducted research on Child Trafficking and has served as an intern with the Criminal Defense Law Firm.  After graduation, Tara plans to pursue a professional career overseas and to one day attend law school.   

Jannon Otto, UC Riverside (Victorville, Calif.) A senior guard for the Highlanders basketball team, Jannon earned first team All Big West Conference honors in 2019.  She is a three-time Big West Player of the Week and is a member of the 1,000 point club.  She earned preseason all conference honors heading into the 2019-20 campaign and was named the team MVP in 2018-19.  Jannon graduated with a degree in Media and Cultural Studies and is currently working on her Masters degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy.  She has earned Dean’s List and Chancellor’s List honors in every quarter she has been enrolled at UCR.  She serves as a counselor in a skills academy serving underprivileged youth.  Jannon hopes to one day work in Intercollegiate Athletics.

Sarah Snyder, UC Santa Barbara (Fresno, Calif.) A senior utility player for the UCSB women’s water polo team, Sarah was the team MVP in both 2018 and 2019.  She earned All Big West Conference honors in 2019 and is currently serving as the team captain.  In 2019, she led the team in goals and was second in points and shots.  She also led the team in scoring in 2018.  A Psychological and Brain Sciences major, Sarah has earned Academic All Conference and ACWPC All Academic team distinctions.  She has earned the UCSB Golden Eagle award, an honor bestowed upon the student-athlete with the highest GPA on each team.  Sarah will graduate this June and will pursue her Masters in International Business at Durham University next fall.  She plans to continue to play water polo and to attend law school.   

Petra Melounova, Hawai‘i (Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic) In the midst of her senior season with the Rainbow Wahine tennis program, Petra is the most successful player in program history.  She is a three-time Big West Conference Player of the Year, and has also earned first team all-conference with her doubles partner.  In 2019, she advanced to the NCAA Tournament round of 16.  She is the only UH women’s tennis player to ever advance that far, and is the first player from the Big West to advance that far since 1996.  She is the first Rainbow Wahine player to ever participate in three NCAA championships, and is eyeing her fourth appearance later this spring.  An Electrical Engineering major, this is Petra’s second Scholar Athlete of the Year honor.  After graduating this spring, Petra plans to play tennis professionally and to eventually pursue a career in electrical engineering.